Attachable supports for cans, pails and the like



June 3, 1958 2,837,305

ATTACHABLE SUPPORTS FOR CANS; FAILS AND THE LIKE H. ANDREN Filed July 22, 1955 INVENTOR.

ll7'ARO 1-13. A NDREN B -14 T7 ORNE Y United States Patent 2,837,305 A'I'IACHABLE SUPPORTS FOR CANS, PAILS AND THE LIKE Harold Andren, Point Pleasant, N. J. Application July 22, 1955, Serial No. 523,678

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-148) This invention relates to improvements in supports for pails, chimed cans, and similar receptacles and provides an attachable and detachable leg unit which can readily be attached to pails, chimed cans, and similar receptacles.

It has previously been suggested to provide attachable and detachable supports of the general character to which the invention refers, for the purpose of supporting a paint pail or a can of paint in a level position on an inclined roof. A major difliculty in the use of the known supporting units arises from the fact that two hands must be used in order to adjust the unit for height. Assuming,

for example, that a support is first attached to a paint.

receptacle and adjusted to maintain the receptacle in a level position on a horizontal surface, and that the receptacle is then carried up a ladder and placed on an inclined surface, for example, a pitched roof, it is important that the adjustment of the support for the roof inclination can be made by one hand only, and in such a way that the support does not become detached from the'receptacle which, in the meantime, is being held or steadied by the workmans other hand. It is further desirable to provide for an infinitely variable adjustment of the length of the legs, rather than a step by step adjustment, and it is desirable'to provider a construction which permits a cylindrical receptacle to be held as readily and securely as a tapered receptacle, for example, a conventional tin pail.

The invention provides an improved support unit which can readily be attached to a cylindrical or tapered receptacle and which remains securely attached thereto while permitting adjustment for length by the use of only one hand, leaving the workmans other hand free to support or steady the receptacle.

These and various other the invention will appear more fully from the detailed description which follows accompanied by drawings showing, for the purpose of illustration, two preferred embodiments of the invention. The invention also resides in certain new and original features of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the characteristic features of this invention which are believed to be novel will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of it in which:

Fig. l is an elevational side view illustrating the use of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the section being taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the following description and in the claims various details will be identified by specific names for convenience. The names, however, are intended to be generic in their application. Corresponding reference characters refer features and advantages of 2,837,365 Patented June 3, 1958 "ice 2' to corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawmgs.

The drawings accompanying, and forming part of, this specification disclose certain specific details of the invention for the purpose of explanation of broader aspects of the invention, but it is understood that the details may be modified in various respects without departure from the principles of the invention and that the invention may be applied to other structures than those shown.

Figure l showsa conventional tin pail 11 having a recessed bottom 12 surrounded by a rim or chime 13.

The top edge 14 of the pail is rolled in a conventional manner, and the pail is provided with a conventional bail 15 by which it may be carried. Y

The pail 11 is supported in a level position on an inclined surface 16, which may be a pitched roof, the level support being accomplished by at least two supporting units 17.

The unit 17 is shown on an enlarged scale in Figure 3 and comprises a tubular member 18 provided with an upper bracket 19 which may be rigidly secured thereto or be integral therewith. The bracket 19 has a downwardly extending lip 20 for engaging the top edge or rim of the receptacle to be supported.

A leg 21, preferably having a pointed lower end 22,

is telescopically held within the tubular member 18 and normally protrudes from its lower end 23.

provided for arresting the leg 21 relatively to the tubular membrane. Such means are preferably frictional clamping means and are shown in-the illustrated form of the device in the form of a set screw 24 having a wing head 25, the screw fitting tapped hole 26 in the tubular mem ber 18 and bearing against the leg 21.

A lower bracket 27 is slidably adjustable on the tubular member 18 and comprises a laterally extending portion or arm 28 provided with a number of upwardly extending projections 29. The the spacing of the projections are so selected that the rims of conventionalreceptacles, for example, ten and twelve quart pails, as well as one gallon tin cans are securely supported in the spaces between the projections *without wobbling,

Convenient dimenslons for the projections on an arm The leg unit is attached to the receptacle by hooking the top rim or lip of the receptacle and by then sliding the lower bracket 27 upwardly until the bottom rim or chime of the receptacle rests securely in one of the spaces or notches between the projections 29. Several such spaces are available to accommodate tapered cans as well as cylindrical receptacles.

If the receptacle is to be deposited on a pitched roof, the receptacle is held by the bail 15 with one hand while the other hand is used to loosen the adjustment means of the leg 21, in the illustrated embodiment, the set screw 24. This causes the leg 21 to drop down by gravity until its point 22 rests on the roof 16, whereafter the leg is arrested by tightening the adjusting device. It will be noted that this adjustment does not disturb the spacing the upper bracket over of the brackets 19 and 28.

Means are width of the arm 28 and Obviously the present invention is not restricted to the specific illustrated embodiment, but may be modified to include other forms of clamping means for arresting the leg without sacrificing the feature of perabiiny er the device by one hand only. Also, it is evident that devices embodying the present invention may be used to advantage for supporting a pail, can or other receptacle in an elevated position on a level or slightly inclined surface by the use of three legs.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachable and detachable leg unit for pails, chimed cans and similar receptacles, the unit comprising, a tubular member; a relatively narrow lower bracket supported by said member adjacent its lower end for engaging the bottom edge of a receptacle, said lower bracket extending substantially radially fror'n said tubular member and having at least three upwardly extending lugs thereon for engaging the bottom rim of a receptacle, said lugs being at different radial distances from said tubular member; a leg telescopically mounted in, and normally protruding from the bottom end of, said member; means for fixing said leg relatively to said member in a predetermined position of protrusion from said member; an upper bracket supported by said member adjacent its upper end for engaging the top edge of the receptacle, said upper bracket extending substantially radially from said tubular member and having a downwardly extending lug thereon for engaging the inner edge of the top rim of a receptacle; and means mounted on one of said brackets for adjustably securing said one bracket relatively to said tubular member so that the distance between said brackets may be increased or decreased, said mounting means being independent of said fixing means, the other of said brackets being fixed on said tubular member.

2. An attachable and detachable leg unit for pails, chimed cans and similar receptacles, the unit comprising, a tubular member; an upper bracket fixedly mounted on said member adjacent its upper end, said upper bracket extending substantially radially from said tubular member and having a downwardly extending lug thereon for engaging the inner edge or" the top rim of a receptacle; a lower bracket slidably mounted on said member adjacent its lower end, said lower bracket extending substantially radially from said tubular member and having at least three radially spaced upwardly extending lugs thereon for engaging the bottom rim'of a receptacle, said lugs being at different radial distances from said tubular member; a set screw for adjustably securing said lower bracket on said tubular member so that the distance of the lower bracket from the upper bracket may be adjusted to the height of the receptacle; a leg telescopically mounted in, and normally protruding from the bottom end of, said member; and means independent of said set screw for fixing said leg relatively to said member in a predetermined position of protrusion from said member.

3. An attachable and detachable leg unit for pails, chimed cans and similar receptacles, the unit comprising, a tubular member; an upper bracket fixedly mounted on said member adjacent its upper end, said upper bracket having a downwardly extending lip for engaging the top edge of a receptacle; a lower bracket slidably mounted on said member adjacent its lower end, said lower bracket being longer than said upper bracket and having a plurality of spaced upwardly extending protrusions thereon for engaging the bottom edge of the receptacle; a first set screw for adjustably securing saidlower bracket rla tively to said tubular member so that th'e' distance between saidbra'ckets may be adjusted to the'height of the receptacle; a leg telescopically mounted in; and normally protruding from the bottom end of, member; and a second set screw independent of said first set screw for fixing said leg relatively to said inemberina predeter mined position of protrusion from said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 879,052 Jeranek Feb. 11-, 1908 909,777 Foster Jan.'1 2, 1909 1,021,903 Stahr Apr. 2, 1912 1,207,883 Dugan et al. Dec. 12, 1916 1,505,396 Lees Aug. 19, 1924 1,569,313 Breer Jan. 12; 1926 1,694,000 C018 Dec. 4, 1928 1,902,423 Seltzer Mar. 21, 1933 2,448,456 Niskanen et a1; Aug; 31,1948 2,606,732 Luomala Aug. 12, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 298,715 Switzerland July 16, 1954 

